Andre Ward appreciation thread

[KingHippo]

I'd like this thread to be a tribute to one of the most underappreciated boxers of this era.

The man always finds a way to get in the best fights, goes wherever it takes to face the best and is all about the sport.

The timing, the speed, the out of this world counter punching skills, supreme defense, scrappiness on the inside and footwork. While current Andre Ward slowed down, I'm still curious on how he picks apart his opponents.

Been in the ring with the best and made them all look ordinary. This is the true mark of a great champion.

Nov 19 will be the consecration, and I hope it will make some of you fans of not only him, but the sport of boxing as well.

Good luck SOG

[Dip_Slide]

Very crafty fighter on the inside, knows all the tricks or the trade, a very tough professional style, some call it dirty, some call it boring, I don't agree with that at all, i watch his fights very closely, I don't see him completely tying up his opponent so that they can't throw, but I see him putting his arms and his head at certain spots were he can avoid punches, feel where the punches are coming from, and fire his own shots, if you closely look, 95% of the time when he's fighting on the inside, his opponent's hands are not locked, but once they move them he reacts by repositioning his head, his body and his gloves in a brilliant fashion, I truly appreciate that part of his style, very hard style to deal with and he has the footwork, the ability to cut off the ring behind his lead hand and his feints to force you to fight this kind of fight and in a fight like this I don't recall too many fighters that can outdo him in this field, Roberto Duran comes to mind.

Very good lead hand with a very good pop. He changes level, feints and blinds with it very well and he controls distance with it very very well, commentators not understanding what he does and thus not being able to translate to the casuals what he's actually doing is one of the reasons why he's not appreciated the way he should be. But that's been the case in boxing for many years now and is one of the reasons the art of boxing is not appreciated anymore like it used to be.

[M Bison]

I'd like to take a moment to praise the biggest ducker and coward in boxing who can't fight above a natural weight class yet asks others to do so and praise a guy who can't travel away for a fight whilst every other top level fighter of now near enough has done so here's to you Ward you're a stand up type of guy who has a silverspoon lodged up your fudge pipe on the behalf of everyone go fk yourself

[Dip_Slide]

I'd like to take a moment to praise the biggest ducker and coward in boxing who can't fight above a natural weight class yet asks others to do so and praise a guy who can't travel away for a fight whilst every other top level fighter of now near enough has done so here's to you Ward you're a stand up type of guy who has a silverspoon lodged up your fudge pipe on the behalf of everyone go fk yourself

It didn't take long.

[Dean_Razorback]

me watching a ward fight

[Canelo and GGG]

me watching a ward fight

[BillyBoxing]

Extremly good boxer with an amazing understanding of the technical aspects of the sport.

Seems to be a good fella too.

He hasn't been really active over the last yea
rs.

[Deevel916]

Definitely a great talent whom I appreciate. Problem for Ward is, he won't be remembered like a Floyd, Pac, SRL, Duran, Hagler, Hearns, Tito, RJJ, etc... He has no personality nor any memorable career defining fights. Maybe that can all change with his upcoming fight vs Kovalev.

[NaijaD]

Very crafty fighter on the inside, knows all the tricks or the trade, a very tough professional style, some call it dirty, some call it boring, I don't agree with that at all, i watch his fights very closely, I don't see him completely tying up his opponent so that they can't throw, but I see him putting his arms and his head at certain spots were he can avoid punches, feel where the punches are coming from, and fire his own shots, if you closely look, 95% of the time when he's fighting on the inside, his opponent's hands are not locked, but once they move them he reacts by repositioning his head, his body and his gloves in a brilliant fashion, I truly appreciate that part of his style, very hard style to deal with and he has the footwork, the ability to cut off the ring behind his lead hand and his feints to force you to fight this kind of fight and in a fight like this I don't recall too many fighters that can outdo him in this field, Roberto Duran comes to mind.

Very good lead hand with a very good pop. He changes level, feints and blinds with it very well and he controls distance with it very very well, commentators not understanding what he does and thus not being able to translate to the casuals what he's actually doing is one of the reasons why he's not appreciated the way he should be. But that's been the case in boxing for many years now and is one of the reasons the art of boxing is not appreciated anymore like it used to be.

Excellent post and a really good break down..... which is what the resident G-tard like cyclone above me can't do, usually the more skillful and complex a fighters game is, the less it translates with casuals.

As much as I like Ward, I will readily admit he's had some stinkers but when he's in with top competition it's a good fight more often than not.

[Dip_Slide]

Definitely a great talent whom I appreciate. Problem for Ward is, he won't be remembered like a Floyd, Pac, SRL, Duran, Hagler, Hearns, Tito, RJJ, etc... He has no personality nor any memorable career defining fights. Maybe that can all change with his upcoming fight vs Kovalev.

If Abraham, Froch, Kessler and Kovalev where American or popular latin American stars Ward would be in the HOF already.